Auction No. 147

Greek Coins
PAPHLAGONIA. Sinope. Drachm (Circa 425-410 BC).

Obv: Head of eagle left; below, dolphin swimming left.
Rev: Quadripartite incuse square with two opposing quarters filled; K in one incuse.

SNG BM Black Sea -; SNG von Aulock 6837; SNG Lockett 2754; cf. HGC 7, 388.

Condition: Near extremely fine.

Weight: 6.21 g.
Diameter: 18 mm.

Greek Coins
KINGS OF PONTOS. Mithradates VI Eupator (Circa 120-63 BC). Tetradrachm. Pergamon. Dated 224 (76/5 BC).

Obv: Diademed head right.
Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΜΙΘΡΑΔΑΤΟΥ ΕΥΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ.
Stag grazing left; star-in-crescent and monogram to left, ΔΚΣ (year) and monogram to right; ⊏ (sixth month) below.

Callataÿ D25/R4a; SNG von Aulock 6681; HGC 7, 342.

Condition: Near extremely fine.

Weight: 16.04 g.
Diameter: 31 mm.

Greek Coins
★ Rare Tridrachm ★
CARIA. Alabanda. Tridrachm (Circa 166-133 BC).

Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right.
Rev: AΛABAN / ΔEΩN.
Pegasos alighting right; H below; all within wreath.

Meadows 2008; HN online 1491.

Condition: Very fine.

Weight: 11.60 g.
Diameter: 27 mm.

Greek Coins
★ Map of Ephesos(?) ★
ACHAEMENID EMPIRE. Time of Artaxerxes III to Darios III (Circa 350-333 BC). Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint in Western Asia Minor.

Obv: Persian king in kneeling-running stance right, holding spear and bow.
Rev: Incuse relief map of the hinterland of Ephesos(?).

Johnston, Earliest, 5-17; Mildenberg, Münzwesen, 110; BMC Ionia p. 324, 3 & 6.

Very rare.

The interpretation of the reverse of this coin is still debated; it may represent the earliest known map of a Greek city

Condition: Very fine.

Weight: 14.96 g.
Diameter: 24 mm.

Roman Imperial Coins
★ Superb Otho ★
OTHO (69). Denarius. Rome.

Obv: IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P.
Bare head right.
Rev: VICTORIA OTHONIS.
Victory advancing right, holding wreath and palm frond.

RIC² 14.

Condition: Extremely fine.

Weight: 3.62 g.
Diameter: 18 mm.

Roman Imperial Coins
★ Ephesus Three Portraits ★
VESPASIAN, with TITUS and DOMITIAN as Caesares (69-79). Denarius. Ephesus.

Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPAS AVG COS II TR P P P.
Laureate head of Vespasian right.
Rev: LIBERI IMP / AVG VESPAS.
Bare heads of Titus right facing bare head of Domitian left; ΦY to right.

RIC² 1418; RPC II 824B (3 specimens).

Extremely Rare.

Rare dynastic issue featuring three bold portraits

Condition: Extremely fine.

Weight: 3.37 g.
Diameter: 16 mm.

Roman Imperial Coins
DOMITIAN (Caesar, 69-81). GOLD Aureus. Rome.

Obv: CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS.
Laureate head right.
Rev: COS V.
Lupa Romana (she-wolf) standing left, head lowered right, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus.

RIC² 960; Calicó 820a.

Condition: Near extremely fine.

Weight: 7.36 g.
Diameter: 20 mm.

Roman Imperial Coins
GORDIAN III (238-244). GOLD Aureus. Rome.

Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG.
Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: VIRTVTI AVGVSTI.
The Farnese Hercules: statue of Hercules right, holding Apples of the Hesperides and lion skin, and leaning upon club.

RIC 108; Calicó 3242.

Born to a daughter of Gordian I, sister of Gordian II, because of the young age at which he came to occupy the throne (13), Gordian did not rule directly, but the Senate did so for him. Gordian had become prince because the Senate needed to placate an uprising of the traditionalist urban plebs, bound to the dynastic ideal, and in order to take advantage of his family’s wealth. Moreover, the praetorians had acclaimed him emperor just to show the Senate that they were the ones who decided who to put on the throne. Among the first moves was the dismissal of the legion in Africa because it had supported Capellianus and led to the deaths of Gordian I and II, who were deified. During his relatively long tenure there were several problems to deal with. In 240 Sabinianus, elected caesar in Carthage, prepared to make war on him, but was stopped by the governor of Mauretania. In the north the barbarians were making constant raids and sacking villages and towns. Gordian was too young to face these problems, but fortunately for him he could count on the diplomatic and military skill of Timesitheus, who had become prefect of the praetorium and granted him his daughter, Tranquillina, in marriage in 241. Rome succeeded in repelling the Persians of Shapur I in 243 thanks to Timesitheus, but on his death he was replaced as prefect of the praetorium by Marcus Julius Philip known as ‘the Arab’. The latter, however, was not satisfied with this title but aimed at the throne, and he convinced the army that they needed an adult prince and not a boy. Gordian showed maturity and offered to cede the throne to Philip and become his caesar, but he was killed in 244. The Senate was informed that he had died of wounds sustained in a battle against the Persians. His body was sent to Rome where he was deified

Condition: Extremely fine.

Weight: 4.92 g.
Diameter: 20 mm.

Roman Imperial Coins
★ Unpublished Aureus ★
PHILIP II (Caesar, 244-247). GOLD Aureus. Rome.

Obv: M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES.
Bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: PIETAS AVGVSTOR.
Emblems of the pontificate: aspergillum, simpulum, ewer, secespita and lituus.

RIC -; Calicó -.

Condition: Extremely fine.

Weight: 4.21 g.
Diameter: 20 mm.

Roman Imperial Coins
JULIAN II APOSTATA (360-363). GOLD Solidus. Constantinople.

Obv: FL CL IVLIANVS P F AVG.
Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: VIRTVS EXERCITVS ROMANORVM / CONSP.
Soldier standing right, head left, holding trophy and dragging captive to left.

RIC 158; Depeyrot 7/1.

Very rare. Julian II was born in Constantinople, son of Basilina and Julius Constantius, half-brother of Constantine I ‘the Great’. Because of his young age he was spared in the 337 massacre of Constantine’s family members. His youthful education at the court of Constantius II was in the care of the pagan eunuch Mardonius, marked by the myth of classical culture and paganism, particularly Neoplatonism. Upon the death of Constantius Gallus, Julian took his place as Caesar in 355 and married Constantius II’s sister, Helena, after which he immediately left to fight the Germans who had invaded Colonia Agrippinensium. Here, after a series of fights, he succeeded in winning the favor of the people and the army, who acclaimed him Augustus in 360, raising the ire of Constantius II. Upon the latter’s death Julian became sole emperor and moved back to Constantinople, beginning to deprive the Christian Church of all the rights that had been granted to it by its predecessors, thus earning the appellation “Apostate.” Although he never openly persecuted Christians, his policies undoubtedly favored pagans and Jews. Julian also distinguished himself as a man of culture, writing several works, both satirical and philosophical. His main goal was to get the Romans to return to worshiping the ancient gods, and he thought he would succeed by winning the war against the Persians of Shapur II. After a series of victories the emperor reached the gates of Ctesiphon in June 363, but at that point he hesitated and, instead of attacking the city, decided to wait until he rejoined Procopius’ army. This move proved fatal, for after a hard fight at Maranga on the Tigris, he was wounded and killed at Samarra. Julian was buried at Tarsus, while peace was signed with Shapur II and Jovian, a moderate Christian, was elected new emperor.

Condition: Extremely fine.

Weight: 4.46 g.
Diameter: 22 mm.

Roman Imperial Coins
VALENS (364-378). GOLD Solidus. Thessalonica.

Obv: D N VALENS P F AVG.
Pearl-diademed bust left, wearing consular robe, holding mappa in right hand and sceptre in left.
Rev: SALVS REIP / (two stars) / SMTES.
Valens standing facing, head right, right foot on bound kneeling captive, holding labarum and Victory on globe.

RIC 3b.2; Depeyrot 31/2.

Very rare. Flavius Julius Valens was the younger brother of Valentinian I. After serving as protector domesticus (personal guard) of Julian II and Jovian, he immediately became emperor of the East in 364 thanks to his brother who was already Augustus of the West, although the two differed in faith. Valens in fact was an Arian, while Valentinian was a Nicene Christian. The first problem was presented by the usurper Procopius, comes of Antioch, who proclaimed himself Augustus of the East in 365. Valens defeated him, sentenced him to death and struck with damnatio memoriae. He later faced the Visigoths and a second conspiracy, hatched by Theodore of Antioch. In 374 Valens celebrated the decennalia and became Maximus Augustus in 375 on the death of his brother, after which he organized an expedition against the Persians that proved unsuccessful, forcing him to sign an unfavorable peace. Another problem was the confluence of Ostrogoths and Visigoths into Roman territory across the Danube because of the advance of the Huns. The Romans were forced to accept them, but this integration was not easy; the Visigoths felt oppressed and exploited as a labor-power, resulting in an insurrection. Valens, considered a general of little ability by his contemporaries, was thus induced to recruit Goth mercenaries, with the risk that they would end up allied with his enemies. In fact, a large contingent of Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Huns, and Alamanni joined forces to fight the Romans and achieved a decisive victory at Hadrianopolis (Thrace) in 378. The tremendous defeat was caused by Gratian, who was meanwhile on the Western throne and did not arrive in time with his troops. Valens died in the battle but the Goths failed to conquer Constantinople. According to Ambrose, bishop of Mediolanum, the defeat at Hadrianopolis heralded the fall of the empire and the end of the world.

Condition: Near extremely fine.

Weight: 4.39 g.
Diameter: 22 mm.

Byzantine Coins
ALEXIUS I COMNENUS (1081-1118). AR Tetarteron Nomisma. Constantinople.

Obv: IC – XC.
Facing bust of Christ Pantokrator.
Rev: + ΛΛEXIω ΔECΠOT Tω KM.
Facing bust of Alexius, holding globus cruciger and cruciform sceptre with pellet on shaft.

DOC 6c; Sear 1895.

Condition: Extremely fine.

Weight: 3.69 g.
Diameter: 20 mm.

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